Theresa the great answered above and her answer is by far the best and most correct answer. What you are basing your little "theory" on? Do you have any actual knowledge of the funeral industry? Why does the cost of a funeral continue to rise?!?! Are you serious? Let me give you a little insight. My gas bill is $12,000 per year to heat the funeral home (do you think my gas bill didn't go up, just like yours did?), other utilities are around $30,000 collectively. Then there is insurance, vehicles (obviously I need a van or someting to go and get granny from the hosptial, don't I?), property taxes, landscaping, and supplies (prayer cards, crosses, etc.) And can you even believe that the price of EVERYTHING goes up EVERY YEAR? What a notion! The rest of the world calls this the consumer price index, perhaps you should give it a look! Ok, now let's move on to inventory. Do you think that the casket company tells me to just pay them when I get paid?? I don't think so!! I have to pay for the casket and vault up front! And do you have any idea how much embalming fluid costs? Alot. Ok, then we move on to the fact that we ARE regulated and our preparation room must meet government standards, or we risk a fine, we must keep a professional license with the state, and guess what, they aren't free either!! The nerve of some people! Now, how many other people are willing to be on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year? Mmm, are you? Do you want to get out of bed at 3 AM to go pick up a dead body? Do you want to have to embalm someone with AIDS or hepatitis? Didn't think so. Funeral Directors DO NOT make as much money as everyone thinks. We aren't lining up at a soup kitchen, but we aren't driving a freaking Lamborghini either!!! Besides, we provide a service and we dererve to be paid four our skills, license, time and talent, JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE! Just because our clients don't have a pulse doesn't mean we don't deserve payment for our hard work! How about you dream up some more theories. If the funeral industry should be regulated, so should doctors, lawyers and car dealers! Oh, but I forgot, they aren't ripping us off!!! Silly me, it's just those funeral directors who scam everyone! Please. Come back when you have done some research and have an INTELLIGENT answer.